Tesla’s range-flation

Tesla’s Range-Fflation Problem

Tesla, Incorporated has been at the forefront of the ever-growing electric vehicle (EV) market since its debut in the early 2000s. Despite being a leader in EV production and innovation, Tesla may be experiencing a problem with range-flation. Range-flation is jargon used to describe the increasing number of longer range EV models to the market from every major automaker.

Due to the increased competition, Tesla is looking to make its models bigger and more powerful, but in doing so, it may be compromising battery range and efficiency. Some Tesla consumers have noted that under certain conditions, their models have lost as much as 3-4 percent in range after capturing a large number of pre-orders since 2018.

While the automaker has often faced criticism from skeptical consumer groups, this range-flation problem could have a severe impact on the company’s bottom line. Tesla’s already-shallow profit margins could be affected if the number of range-related complaints continue to mount. To combat this issue, Tesla has implemented several measures, such as the introduction of Tesla Rush Hour Reward, which provides customers with a discount when travelling at night or during the busiest times of the day.

In addition to trying to counteract range-flation issues, Tesla has also been shifting focus to the development of its semi-autonomous driving feature, Autopilot. Autopilot has been known to reduce range levels over long drives, which may further exacerbate the range-flation issue if not properly addressed.

Waymo Reverses on Self-Driving Trucks

In 2021, Alphabet Inc.’s autonomous driving subsidiary, Waymo, announced that it would reverse its decision to develop a fleet of self-driving trucks. The reversal is part of Waymo’s shift in focus from the trucking industry to its more lucrative ride-hailing project.

While the idea of introducing autonomous trucking to the industry was met with promise, Waymo has since determined that the project would take too long and require too much capital to bring to fruition. The company instead chose to accelerate its ride-hailing project in order to better compete with rivals such as Uber and Lyft.

Waymo’s reversal on autonomous trucking is a major blow to the industry. While the technology is certainly impressive and could revolutionize the trucking industry, the technology is simply not market-ready yet. Additionally, autonomous trucks are known to cause increased wear and tear on roads, which leads to higher expenses for trucking companies.

In the near future, Waymo intends to focus on refining its self-driving car platform and expanding into new cities in an effort to capture a greater share of the ride-hailing market.

Ford Tweaks Its EV Playbook

In its efforts to stay competitive in the growing EV market, Ford has recently shifted its EV focus from passenger vehicles to commercial vehicles. The automaker plans to produce a fleet of electric cargo vans and deliver them to businesses by 2022.

Ford’s move is a major reversal from its previous strategy, which heavily focused on the production of traditional gas-powered cars and SUVs. The automaker is now focusing on the production of electric commercial vehicles, which are more in line with consumer and government demands.

The shift to electric commercial vehicles is a smart strategic move for Ford. The automaker has the potential to gain a bigger market share in the electric trucking industry, which is currently dominated by Tesla’s semi-autonomous vehicles. Additionally, electric vehicles are less expensive to operate than traditional gas-powered vehicles, which could help to boost profit margins for Ford.

Ford’s new focus on electric commercial vehicles is another example of the increasing pressure for automakers to produce more eco-friendly vehicles in order to remain competitive in the EV market.